Polychromatic encoding system, method and device

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a polychromatic barcode or portable data file symbology, image, system, method, and apparatus enabling virtually unlimited information density. In a preferred embodiment, ASCII characters are assigned to unique identifiers, which identifiers are in turn assigned to unique colors. Color blots are sequentially arranged in a symbol so as to match the sequence of corresponding identifiers to be encoded, and then the symbol is applied to a surface. To decode, the symbol is scanned, colors translated into identifiers, and identifiers translated into content. Also disclosed are blots dedicated to calibration. Information density is further enhanced through an external reference function achieved through commands included in the barcode itself, by which function infinitely high information density is achieved. Licensing information is available through www.inventerprise.com.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority filing of U.S. provisional patent application 60/603,964,filing date Aug. 23, 2004, entitled “Integrated Gaming TechnologySystem, Method and Device” is claimed. Said provisional patentapplication is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into thepresent disclosure.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patentdocuments or patent disclosure, as it appears in the patent trademarkoffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all rightswhatsoever.

The inventor wishes to thank Nicole Theiss, Chris Chalsma, Susan Gorton,Robin Singh, and Steve Che.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

None.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGAPPENDIX

None.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to automatic identification, automatic datacapture, and data storage technology, specifically, optical encoding.

2. Description of Related Art

Monochromatic barcodes and “2D” barcodes or portable data files, such asthe Symbol PDF417 code, are known. But these symbologies uniformlysuffer from extremely small information capacity per unit of area, i.e.,information density.

Multicolor barcode solutions have been proposed in recognition of thepotential for exponentially higher information density than themonochromatic approach allows. See, e.g., Saito, U.S. Patent PublicationNo. 2002/0066786 and related applications (hereinafter, collectivelycalled “Saito”); Harrison, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0209604(hereinafter, “Harrison II”); see, also, Harrison, U.S. PatentPublication 2003/0193842 (using light phenomena to indicatetime)(hereinafter, “Harrison I”).

However, with the exceptions of Harrison I and II, these proposedpolychromatic solutions are not ideal in that they suffer from:

-   -   low tolerance for suboptimal conditions (e.g., imperfect        lighting at the time of decoding, imperfect printing)    -   lack of a comprehensive symbology for polychromatism    -   failure to recognize or overcome the inherent limitations of        additive coding    -   rigidity: non-customizability of symbolic relationships    -   information density and usability levels that are not compelling        enough to create new markets or to ward off encroachment from        competing solutions that offer other advantages, e.g., RFID    -   inability to tailor barcode appearance to fashion and branding        needs    -   lack of high-level integration: failure to move beyond isolated        building-blocks to fully deployable solutions    -   inability to provide password protection for information in        barcodes

Harrison I and II, meanwhile, fail to disclose a compound matrixstructure, a command sequence reference mechanism, and numerous othernovel features of the present invention.

What is needed, therefore, is a barcode or portable data file solutionthat (i) offers information density levels that are many times greaterthan those available under the most effective related art; (ii) iseffective in diverse optical and commercial settings; (iii) isinfinitely customizable; and (iv) otherwise overcomes many of thelimiting factors that plague related art solutions.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a fullyintegrated, polychromatic optical encoding solution which simultaneouslyachieves both unprecedented information density and a high degree ofusability so that the system can be deployed under a wide variety ofconditions.

The following definitions from Webopedia.com may be useful:

-   -   “Pantone Matching System (PMS): A popular color matching system        used by the printing industry to print spot colors. Most        applications that support color printing allow you to specify        colors by indicating the Pantone name or number. This assures        that you get the right color when the file is printed, even        though the color may not look right when displayed on your        monitor. PMS works well for spot colors but not for process        colors, which are generally specified using the CMYK color        model.”    -   “color matching: The process of assuring that a color on one        medium remains the same when converted to another medium. This        is extremely difficult because different media use different        color models. Color monitors, for example, use the RGB model,        whereas process printing uses the CMYK model. As color desktop        publishing matures, color matching is gaining more and more        attention. The most recent Windows and Macintosh operating        systems include a color management system (CMS) to assist in        color matching.”    -   “spot color: Refers to a method of specifying and printing        colors in which each color is printed with its own ink. In        contrast, process color printing uses four inks (cyan, magenta,        yellow, and black) to produce all other colors. Spot color        printing is effective when the printed matter contains only one        to three different colors, but it becomes prohibitively        expensive for more colors. Most desktop publishing and graphics        applications allow you to specify spot colors for text and other        elements. There are a number of color specification systems for        specifying spot colors, but Pantone is the most widely used.”    -   “process colors: Refers to the CMYK color model used in offset        printing.”    -   “CMYK: Short for Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black . . . CMYK is a color        model in which all colors are described as a mixture of these        four process colors. CMYK is the standard color model used in        offset printing for full-color documents. Because such printing        uses inks of these four basic colors, it is often called        four-color printing. In contrast, display devices generally use        a different color model called RGB, which stands for        Red-Green-Blue. One of the most difficult aspects of desktop        publishing in color is color matching—properly converting the        RGB colors into CMYK colors so that what gets printed looks the        same as what appears on the monitor.”

Numerous distinct technologies from distinct industries are alsorelevant to the present disclosure, including: color matching systems,such as those used to scan housepaint samples of an unknown color so asto produce a matching batch of paint; data processing equipment,including computers, and all related hardware and software, such asmonitors, printers, scanners, spectrophotometers, database managementsoftware, and Web server and browser software; operating systems (thepresent invention is OS-agnostic) and programming, markup, scripting,and database query languages; color analysis and management hardware andsoftware; automatic data capture hardware and software, particularlyoptical; and remaining relevant technologies. All documents which, as ofthe time of this writing, may be found through www.google.com,www.wikipedia.org, or www.yahoo.com are hereby incorporated by referenceinto the present disclosure in their entirety for the purpose ofinforming the reader about these and all other relevant technologies.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The first of two alternative embodiments provides an ultra-high-density(UHD) barcode, symbology, method, device and system, thereby providingmaximum information density—and in some cases, infinitely highdensity—but enjoying less tolerance for imperfection than the secondalternative embodiment. The second alternative embodiment provides avery-high-density (VHD) barcode, symbology, method, device and system,thereby providing exponentially higher information density than relatedart barcode technology while also enjoying greater printability andtolerance for imperfection in real world environments than the UHDembodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a flowchart depicting the basic process whereby a UHD barcodeaccording to the present invention is created, deployed, and used.

FIG. 1B is a chart depicting a matrix of color-to-identifierrelationships according to the present invention.

FIG. 1C is a chart depicting a matrix of identifier-to-antecedentrelationships according to the present invention.

FIG. 1D depicts a brief intended document to be encoded and decoded todemonstrate the present invention.

FIG. 1E depicts relationships between example antecedents andcorresponding identifiers and colors per the relationships depicted inFIGS. 1B and 1C according to the present invention.

FIG. 1F depicts a polychromatic barcode according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 1G depicts a scanner scanning a barcode according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 1H depicts a continuum of color values, including a standard orideal parameter value and a measured parameter value.

FIG. 1(I) depicts the continuum of color values after it has beencalibrated so as to compensate for the discrepancy between the standardvalue and the scanned value according to the present invention.

FIG. 1J depicts the values of a scanned color being compared against thevalues of two standard colors according to the present invention.

FIG. 1K depicts a relationship between an extracted color, i.e., astandard color which has been found to be the standard color closest invalue to a scanned color, and the corresponding identifier andantecedent associated with the extracted color per the relationshipsdepicted in FIGS. 1B and 1C according to the present invention.

FIG. 1L depicts a barcode and the relationships between identifiers andantecedents represented in the barcode according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 2A depicts six example pairs of color blots according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2B is a chart depicting a matrix of relationships betweenthirty-six unique alphanumeric characters and thirty-six unique pairs ofcolor blots according to the present invention.

FIG. 3A depicts an alternative calibration symbol according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 3B depicts a barcode according to the present invention.

FIG. 3C depicts a barcode, including human-readable alphanumericcharacters visually superimposed upon corresponding color blot pairsaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting a more complex embodiment of the processwhereby a UHD barcode is created and used according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 5A is a chart depicting criteria according to which an evaluationof the appropriateness of a UHD or VHD barcode as compared to aconventional barcode may be conducted according to the presentinvention.

FIGS. 5B through 5F are charts depicting additional matrices ofrelationships between identifiers and text according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 depicts a longer intended document for use in illustratingreferential, subtractive, and substitutive functions of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7A depicts the relationships between a portion of the intendeddocument in FIG. 6 with identifiers corresponding to the words of thisportion, including the barcode segment resulting from encoding thisportion through the referential function according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 7B is a chart depicting an additional matrix of relationshipsbetween identifiers and colors according to the present invention.

FIG. 7C depicts the barcode depicted in FIG. 7A in which are noted thecolors of color blots as determined by the relevant matrices accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 7D is a chart depicting a subject-specific vocabulary according tothe present invention.

FIG. 8 depicts the portion of the intended document depicted in FIG. 7Aand relationships between included diagraphs and correspondingidentifiers according to the present invention.

FIG. 9A depicts the portion of the intended document depicted in FIG. 7Aalong with numbering to be used in the editing, i.e., subtractive,substitutive, and insertive, functions of the present invention.

FIG. 9B depicts a series of commands and data to be encoded so as toexecute a modification of the portion of the intended document depictedin FIG. 9A through subtraction and substitution according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 9C depicts a barcode representing the series of commands and datadepicted in FIG. 9B according to the present invention.

FIG. 9D is a flowchart depicting a process whereby the code in FIG. 9Cis scanned, decoded and modified according to the present invention.

FIG. 9E depicts an extracted document resulting from modification of theportion of the intended document depicted in FIG. 9A according to theseries of commands depicted in FIG. 9B and represented in the barcodedepicted in FIG. 9C according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 depicts a series of commands whereby an alternative vocabularyis specified according to the present invention so as to enable theself-defining function of the present invention.

FIG. 11 depicts a series of commands whereby a variable is defined by areference to a target reference document according to the presentinvention so as to enable the referential function of the presentinvention.

FIG. 12 depicts the primary relationships between a series of databasesaccording to the present invention, including those which enable thepassword-protection function of the present invention.

FIG. 13 depicts general system components of the present invention,including components of an apparatus used by a company.

FIG. 14 depicts an excerpt from a Web submission form whereby a usersubmits information for storage in a database according to the presentinvention, in particular a database comprising records of chromotifs.

FIG. 15A is a chart showing a matrix of relationships betweenalphabetical characters and unique color blot triplets in the VHDembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15B is a chart showing a matrix of relationships between the sameunique color blot triplets depicted in FIG. 15A and a different set ofcharacters, namely, the characters assigned to these color blot tripletswhen they are immediately preceded by a “shift” triplet according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 15C depicts a barcode in which a shift triplet is used so as toenable extraction according to the shifted character set rather than thedefault character set according to the present invention.

FIG. 15D is a chart describing and comparing features of VHD options foruse in deciding which embodiment is appropriate for a given barcodeapplication according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram depicting an exemplary information flowof the UHD embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart summarizing the present invention at a highlevel, the steps and parts of which are illustrated in other figures.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart depicting the process of acquiring and processingreferences and acquired content so as to yield a final extracteddocument according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 is an example vocabulary document to be uploaded to anInternet-accessible server for purposes of properly decoding barcodesthat reference it according to the present invention.

FIGS. 20A and 20B depict the symbolic relationship tiers of the presentinvention and the prior art, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

1.1 Introduction

The present invention provides a barcode system, method and device thatachieves superior information density and usability through a number ofinnovations, including:

-   -   code self-definition, through which mechanism each individual        code may be processed according to instructions uniquely created        for and embedded in that code    -   code self-calibration, enabling tolerances that are high enough        to permit effective deployment of a polychromatic code under and        for a wide variety of conditions and purposes    -   target document reference, including full Internet integration,        achieving virtually unlimited information density    -   compound matrix structure, whereby infinite custom vocabularies        and color schemes can be easily created, stored, retrieved and        modified so as to maximize information density and usability    -   subtractive, substitutive, and insertive processing of external        references, allowing greater latitude in the use of external        references    -   full polychromatism, enabling a high number of discrete        primary-tier symbolic relationships    -   aesthetic flexibility sufficient to allow symbols to match        almost any color context    -   a full-service Web-based company system, through which any        Internet user can create an account and create, securely store,        and access vocabularies, chromotifs, target reference documents,        and related tools    -   “shift” character expansion of character sets    -   alternate blot-to-identifier ratios    -   numerous other supporting innovations        1.2 Definitions

Definitions for terms used in the present disclosure include:

-   -   “UHD” signifies “ultra-high-density,” which term is used to        describe an embodiment of the present invention in which full        polychromatism is used.    -   “VHD” signifies “very-high-density,” which term is used to        describe an embodiment of the present invention in which limited        polychromatism (approximately three to six highly        distinguishable colors) is used.    -   “Chromotif” signifies a matrix of relationships between colors        and identifiers that has been tailored to a particular color        environment. Notwithstanding the chromotif function, however,        calibration symbols and the command sequences specifying any        alternate chromotif or vocabulary should be encoded according to        the default color-to-identifier and vocabulary matrices so that        a starting point for self-definition exists.    -   “Antecedent” signifies a discrete bundle of content (e.g., a        single ASCII character, a multi-character text string, a word, a        phrase, or a command) ultimately represented by a data blot or        data blot pair or triplet; this representation can be direct or        through an intermediate value, i.e., through an identifier. The        latter (intermediary) route is inherent in the compound matrix        structure of the UHD embodiment, while the former (direct) route        is primarily used in the VHD embodiment.    -   “Color standard” signifies a set of color parameter values        which, taken as a whole, uniquely define a color in the        abstract; for instance, the color “powder blue”, according to        the present disclosure, has a red value of “0”, a green value of        “51”, and a blue value of “153”. Color standards are compared        against actual measured values of scanned colors so as to        determine which color is most likely the one intended to be        conveyed.    -   “Limited” vs. “Full” embodiment. The limited UHD embodiment does        not rely upon target reference documents, while the full UHD        embodiment does. The limited VHD embodiment does not rely upon a        shift function, while the full VHD embodiment does.    -   “Unique identifier,” or simply “identifier,” signifies an        alphanumeric character string, such as “ID 172,” that is used as        an intermediate value according to the compound matrix structure        of the present invention so as to facilitate establishment and        manipulation of relationships between colors and antecedents.    -   “Vocabulary” signifies a matrix of relationships between        identifiers, on the one hand, and antecedents on the other.

While it is possible for an antecedent to be represented by more thanone identifier (not recommended), each identifier represents only oneantecedent so that there is no ambiguity in what an identifiersymbolizes. A useful exception to this one-to-one rule may be achievedthrough the described “shift” function.

-   -   “Color blot” signifies an area of color appearing in a barcode        symbol according to the present invention; a color blot can        either be a “data blot” or a “calibration blot”, the former        being an indicator ultimately related to an antecedent and the        latter serving as a means for comparing colors as they        empirically appear in a particular manifestation, e.g., printed        instance, of a barcode image against ideal color standards but        having no symbolic value.    -   “Command” and “Command Sequence”: a command is an antecedent        that does not represent content of the intended document but        rather indicates an action to be performed in acquiring or        processing such content. A command sequence comprises both        instructions that indicate steps to be performed and identity        information that identifies the subject matter to be processed,        location of information to be acquired, etc. Command sequences        are ideally performed automatically through appropriate        scripting and programming, but these instructions may be carried        out by humans.    -   “External value” signifies content that does not explicitly and        literally appear in a vocabulary as an antecedent, meaning that        a source of information outside the symbol itself must be used        to ascertain the full meaning of the symbol. There are two type        of external values: “local,” meaning content obtained by a query        command sequence represented in the barcode and to be supplied        by the recipient's system, and “nonlocal,” meaning content        obtained by requesting a document at a URL specified in the        barcode.    -   “Intended document” signifies the document that the encoding        party, i.e., the “sender,” wants the decoding party to receive        by way of a barcode.    -   “Extracted document” signifies the document actually received by        the decoding party, i.e., the “recipient,” through the decoding        of a barcode. The final extracted document should match the        intended document unless there has been an error in encoding or        decoding.    -   “Encodable document” signifies the actual identifier sequence to        be encoded into a barcode, including but not limited to        identifiers corresponding to command antecedents and content        antecedents.    -   “Infinitely-high-density” or “IHD” refers to a barcode according        to the present invention that includes a command sequence        referencing a target reference document such that there is no        limit to the amount of information that can be conveyed through        the barcode.    -   “Symbol” vs. “Image”: for clarity, an attempt has been made in        the present disclosure to use the term “symbol” to refer to a        barcode when the barcode is being discussed primarily for its        meaning, i.e., the content it represents, and to use the term        “image” to refer to a barcode when the barcode is being        discussed primarily for its physical and optical properties.        Nonetheless, these discussions necessarily overlap.    -   “Prior” and “Preceding”: for the purposes of the present        disclosure, it is assumed that, where relevant, a barcode        according to the present invention represents information        horizontally in a left-to-right fashion, with left being first        and right being last in a sequence. Separate barcodes may also        be stacked vertically so that, after one code has been scanned,        the next one down can be scanned to supplement information        conveyed through the first, much as text is presented on a page        in English, i.e., first-horizontal-then-vertical motion.    -   “Chromocode” signifies a barcode according to the present        invention.    -   “Barcode” as used herein encompasses “portable data file” and        other terms for machine-readable optical symbols.

2.1 Limited Ultra-High-Density (UHD) Embodiment

FIG. 1A is a flowchart depicting the basic process whereby a limited UHDchromocode embodiment of the present invention is created, deployed, andused. First, a color-to-unique-identifier matrix is created 101, such asthe color-to-identifier matrix 121 depicted in FIG. 1B. Next, anantecedent-to-identifier matrix (a vocabulary) is created 102, such asthe ASCII-only, monocharacter-only vocabulary 122 depicted in FIG. 1C.The two depicted matrices are, as of the time of this writing, thedefault matrices for their respective purposes, i.e., in the absence ofspecification of (or, when processing a chromocode, prior to retrievalof) an alternate vocabulary or chromotif (per processes describedbelow), the vocabulary 122 depicted in FIG. 1C is that which is used todecode UHD chromocodes. Thus, in the UHD embodiment, the default valuesspecified in these matrices are always in effect whenever not preemptedby selection of alternate vocabularies, modification commands, etc., asdescribed below.

Next, an intended document is created 103, such as the brief intendeddocument 123 depicted in FIG. 1D. Next, the characters in the intendeddocument are translated 104 into the unique identifiers that correspondto these characters in the vocabulary 122. Next, the identifiers aretranslated 105 into the colors that correspond to these identifiers inthe color-to-identifier matrix 121, thereby creating a sequence ofcolors that correspond to the characters in the intended document. FIG.1E depicts the two-step translation of selected antecedents in the briefintended document 123 into corresponding identifiers and identifiersinto colors according to the present invention per the relationshipsdepicted in FIGS. 1B and 1C.

Next, an image is created 106 of a chromocode embodying a sequence ofdata blots, wherein the sequence of data blots matches the colorsequence which has been determined by the above two-step translation ofantecedents to identifiers to colors; such a chromocode 150 is depictedin FIG. 1F. This image 150 also includes calibration blots prior to orfollowing the data blots. The chromocode image 150 is then applied 107,by printing or other means, to a surface, such as a box or label likethe product package 180 depicted in FIG. 1G.

When the chromocode is to be decoded, the recipient scans the image 150with a scanner 181 in communication with data processing softwaresuitable for analyzing and detecting differences in color. Each of themeasured color parameter values of each scanned calibration blot fallalong a continuum 185 of potential values for each color parameter suchas the continuum depicted in FIG. 1H. The actual measured value 187 foreach parameter of each calibration blot is compared 109 against theideal value 186 for the color standard that is supposed to be manifestedin the given calibration blot, thereby producing a measure of deviationfrom the ideal for this parameter. Thereafter, when data blots areprocessed so as to decode the chromocode, all scanned values, whereverthey fall along the continuum, are shifted in accordance with measureddeviation as depicted in FIG. 1(I), thereby achieving calibration 109.

The post-calibration values of each scanned data blot are compared 110against the corresponding values of color standards so as to determinewhich color is supposed to be manifested in each data blot. An exampleof a comparison between the parameter values of a particular scannedcolor blot and the values of two potentially matching color standards isdepicted in FIG. 1J.

In the depicted example, the combined absolute values of the margin ofdeviation of the scanned color from the parameters (in the depictedcase, RGB) of the color standard for “powder blue” is significantlylower than the combined absolute values of such margin of deviation fromthe color standard for “royal blue.” Thus, the extracted color for thegiven color blot is interpreted to be powder blue, which corresponds tounique identifier “ID 66”, which in turn corresponds to the capitalletter “M” as depicted in FIG. 1K, in accordance with the matricesdepicted in FIGS. 1B and 1C.

When an extracted color has been determined for each data blot,extracted colors are translated into corresponding identifiers 111, andthe resulting identifiers are translated into corresponding antecedents112, which are individual ASCII characters in the default vocabulary122. FIG. 1L depicts the final result of this two-step translation: areplication 190 of the intended document 123. This extracted document190 is then output for viewing, manipulation, or other use by therecipient.

3.1 Limited Very-High-Density (VHD) Embodiment

FIG. 2A depicts six example pairs 201-206 of color blots for use in alimited VHD embodiment of the present invention. Under this embodiment,each of the twenty-six characters of the English alphabet and each ofthe ten Arabic numerals is assigned to a unique pairing of colors, thecolors of which are drawn from a pool of six highly distinguishablecolors, such as white, yellow, blue, red, green, and black (treatingwhite and black as “colors”; see, Harrison I for more discussion oflight phenomena perceived as colors by humans). Exactly thirty-six suchpairings are possible, which allows for an exact match between thenumber of possible pairings and the number of alphanumeric characters tobe assigned. A complete default matrix 211 of relationships betweenalphanumeric characters and color pairings according to the presentinvention appears in FIG. 2B.

The highly distinguishable nature and limited number of the colors usedin these pairings makes the VHD embodiment more tolerant of deviationfrom color standards than the UHD embodiment. This enhancement isaccompanied by a sacrifice of information density. The basicalphanumeric-only set of characters in this code is well-suited forautomatic ID applications.

FIG. 3A depicts an alternate calibration symbol 301 for use in thelimited VHD embodiment. While the calibration process is similar to thatdescribed above, this calibration symbol may alternately be used,providing four calibration blots in a space that is smaller than thespace required for four data blots. FIG. 3B depicts a chromocode 311according to the VHD embodiment symbolizing the word “EPOET”.

FIG. 3C depicts a chromocode according to the VHD embodiment of thepresent invention and including human-readable alphanumeric characters331-335 superimposed upon one of the two color blots in the color blotpairs representing these characters. It is recommended that the color ofthe alphanumeric character be of a color that contrasts highly with thecolor of the color blot against which it is set; compare, Harrison II.

4.1 Full UHD Embodiment Overview

In the limited UHD embodiment, individual characters of the intendeddocument are represented by individual data blots in the resultingchromocode such that one blot represents “M”, another blot represents“y”, and so on. Greater information density can be achieved, however, ifentire words or groups of characters are represented by a single blotsuch that one blot represents “Myths”, another blot represents“Magicry”, and so on.

In order for a given blot to represent an entire word or characterstring, the identifier represented by the given blot must be assigned tothe word or character string to be represented. Such an assignmentrequires definition and specification of additional vocabulary ormodification of the default vocabulary.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting the full functionality of the UHDembodiment, through which values may be modified and supplemented andnumerous other disclosed techniques used to increase information densityand usability. Steps may be implemented by human, computer, or both asdesired.

First, an intended document is created 401 and evaluated 402. Thisevaluation is made through consideration of the content of the intendeddocument, the length thereof, and the application/objective for orcontext within which the resulting chromocode will be used. The criteriafor this evaluation include those criteria listed in FIG. 5A, whichpresents a chart detailing the relative merits of a UHD or VHDchromocode as compared to a conventional barcode under the specifiedcriteria. For instance, if the context for the resulting barcode callsfor a chromotif-capable barcode, a UHD chromocode will likely bepreferable.

If a high-density barcode is unnecessary, a conventional monochromaticbarcode may be used 404. Otherwise, a polychromatic barcode should beused 405. In the latter case, an additional evaluation must be made todetermine whether UHD or VHD is preferable 406. In this evaluation, thebenefits of greater density are weighed against the benefits of highertolerance for deviation from color standards 406. If tolerance ispreferred 407, a VHD code should be used 408. Otherwise, a UHD codeshould be used 409.

If UHD is preferred 409, the quantity of information in the intendeddocument is further evaluated 410 to determine whether a referentialcode is appropriate. If not 411, a strictly additive approach is taken412. If so, an approach is taken that allows for referential,subtractive, substitutive, and insertive encoding and decoding 413.

Under the latter method path, local and nonlocal external values may beincorporated into the extracted document. If local values are to beincorporated into the extracted document 414, command sequencesspecifying the values to be obtained from the recipient are generated415 for inclusion in the encodable document; such a sequence may be inthe form of a database query. If nonlocal external values are to beincorporated into the extracted document 416, a target referencedocument is uploaded 417 to an Internet-accessible server, and a commandsequence specifying the URL of this document is generated 418 forinclusion in the encodable document. An example excerpt from avocabulary comprising sample assignments of identifiers to commands foruse in a referential UHD code appears in FIG. 5E. An example excerptfrom a vocabulary comprising commands for use in modifying externalvalues after acquisition appears in FIG. 5F.

Note that target reference documents should be simple text (.txt) filesconsisting solely of content which the user wishes to reference. Bycontrast, references that require structure, e.g., chromotifs andvocabularies, should be marked-up through use of markup tags (forinstance, conforming to XML conventions, if desired). An example of suchtagging appears in FIG. 19, which is included as a suggestion, but, aswill be apparent to one skilled in the art, alternate tag names andmarkup structures may be used. For automated processing, the decodingparty's system should contain software suitable for parsing the taggeddocuments so as to import the appropriate vocabulary and chromotifrelationships into memory for use in properly decoding a chromocode byreference to the vocabulary or chromotif so defined.

If any external values are to be modified 419 after acquisition per theprocessing discussion below, command sequences specifying operations tobe performed on these external values are generated 420 for inclusion inthe encodable document.

After performance of these steps, the referential, subtractive andsubstitutive path rejoins the additive path. Content not to be acquiredby external reference is then analyzed to identify the most common terms421 and most common letter combinations 422 therein. A base vocabularyis selected 423 that will provide the greatest information density inlight of the results of the analysis of this internal data; if anonstandard vocabulary is to be gathered from an external source,command sequences specifying the URL of this vocabulary are generated424 (referential code only) for inclusion in the encodable document. Anexample excerpt of a vocabulary comprising the most common words inEnglish appears in FIG. 5B. An example excerpt from a vocabularycomprising the most common diagraphs in English appears in FIG. 5C. Aexample excerpt from a vocabulary comprising the most common terms usedin HTML documents appears in FIG. 5D. Multiple vocabularies may be usedin conjunction with each other so long as identifier assignments do notconflict.

Any modifications to the default or, if used, selected vocabulary areachieved through the use of vocabulary modification command sequences425; a vocabulary modification sequence uses a “ReplaceID” nest, withinwhich is specified a particular identifier, and a “WithNewData” nest,within which is provided a new antecedent to be represented by the givenidentifier in lieu of the antecedent that would otherwise berepresented, thereby.

After these steps, the final sequence of identifiers to be included inthe encodable document has been determined, and the remaining stepspertain to appearance of the chromocode. The contextual setting in whichthe code will be used is evaluated 426, taking into consideration suchmatters as the colors of the packaging to which the chromocode is to beapplied. If the use of a chromotif is desirable 427, the appropriatechromotif is selected and specified and any modifications thereto madethrough command sequences 428; if necessary, the chromotif may beuploaded and referenced by URL.

Finally, the encodable document is reduced to an image comprising datablots colored according to the default color-to-indentifier set orselected chromotif, if any. Calibration blots are also included in theimage 429. The resulting final chromocode image may then be applied to asurface.

The process depicted in FIG. 4 can be more fully understood through thefollowing examples illustrating the referential, self-defining,subtractive, substitutive, and other functions.

FIG. 6 depicts an example intended document 600, including the firstfive words 601-605 of the document 600. These words could be representedcharacter-by-character using the limited UHD embodiment. However, underthe full UHD embodiment, a special vocabulary tailored to the subjectmatter of the intended document is specified, such as thesubject-matter-specific vocabulary in FIG. 7D, so that individual colorblots serve to represent entire words. Specification of an alternate orsupplementary vocabulary can be achieved through a command sequence suchas that depicted in FIG. 10, which depicts a series of commands wherebythe URL of an alternative vocabulary is specified according to thepresent invention so as to achieve self-definition.

To elaborate, such a command sequence itself, as depicted in FIG. 10,proceeds as follows: a “VocabularyURL” command nest encompasses a URLthat is the URL of the desired vocabulary document(“http://www.epoet.com/voc” in the example). FIG. 19 depicts an exampleof a document with markup at such a URL, which document can be retrievedand parsed to extract the vocabulary in FIG. 7D.

FIG. 7A presents an example of the use of multicharacter antecedents.Depicted are relationships between the first words 601-605 of theintended document 600 and unique identifiers that correspond to thesewords and the spaces between, which identifiers together form therelevant sequence segment of the encodable document; a correspondingsequence of color blots appears in a resulting symbol 701. Specifically:the first word, “The”, corresponds to unique identifier “ID 200”, asspecified in the sample “most common words” vocabulary depicted in FIG.5B. The blank space character corresponds to unique identifier “ID 94”as per the default vocabulary depicted in FIG. 1C. The second word,“Lord”, corresponds to unique identifier “ID 811” as specified in thesubject-tailored vocabulary depicted in FIG. 7D, and so on. Each uniqueidentifier is in turn represented by a data blot in the resultingchromocode 701.

Each data blot is of the color that has been assigned to the uniqueidentifier that the data blot represents through a chromotif such asthat depicted in FIG. 7B. Given such color-to-identifier assignments,the colors of the resulting chromocode 701 in the present example appearas labeled in FIG. 7C.

FIG. 8 depicts the same five words with notation of diagraphs andcorresponding identifiers through which the two letters of thesediagraphs can be represented by a single data blot by reference to avocabulary such as that depicted in FIG. 5C.

In allowing modifiable multicharacter antecedents, the unique identifieressentially serves as a fulcrum in the disclosed compound matrixstructure, thereby further leveraging the encoding power of the presentinvention so as to yield even greater information density.

4.2 External Value Acquisition through Nonlocal Referencing and LocalQuerying: Infinitely High Density

Whenever antecedents correspond to blots, an additive approach is beingused: the more antecedents there are to be encoded, the more blots areneeded. While the limited UHD embodiment is extremely powerful relativeto the related art, information density even under the limited UHDembodiment can only be increased by increasing the amount of informationassigned to each unique identifier, i.e., by developing ever morespecific vocabularies and lengthier antecedents.

However, the inherent limitation of additive encoding—a limitation thatappears to plague all the related art, both monochromatic andpolychromatic, to some degree—is almost entirely bypassed through anexternal reference function of the present invention. This referentialfunction may be understood in abstract terms through review of FIG. 20A,which displays the novel four-tier information relationship structure ofthe present invention. This structure may be compared to the prior art,which is depicted in FIG. 20B.

In practical terms, the referential function works as follows: when anexternal reference is used instead of additive representation of thecontent of an intended document, a target reference document isspecified through a command sequence of antecedents such as thatdepicted in FIG. 11. In decoding, the target reference document isrequested, typically by HTTP request, by the recipient and replicated asa defined variable, which variable is in turn processed so as to betreated as though it appeared in the chromocode as simple additivematter. FIG. 11 depicts a series of commands whereby a variable isdefined by reference to a target reference document according to thepresent invention.

To elaborate, the command sequence itself, as depicted in FIG. 11,proceeds as follows: a “Formula” command nest encompasses antecedentspresented in a sequence that conforms to a predetermined, expectedsyntax: (i) an identified variable, (ii) an “equals sign”, and (iii) aURL that is the URL of the desired target reference document(“http://www.epoet.com/psalm” in the example). As with the remainingexamples, this command sequence and the elements thereof should onlyserve to illustrate a type of instruction that can be performed throughthe present invention, not to limit the invention to a particular formof instruction.

As shown in the flowchart in FIG. 9D, with reference to FIG. 18, when achromocode is decoded by a recipient, the target reference document isretrieved by requesting the file at the URL specified in the commandsequence. The processed results are then included in the extracteddocument as though this externally-derived content were additivelyrepresented in the chromocode in the location where the relevantvariable appears relative to other additive information.

The end result is a UHD-IHD code.

4.3 Subtractive, Substitutive and Insertive Processing

While the information density of the UHD-IHD code is unrivaled, theusability of the external reference feature is still constrained by thenecessity of creating, uploading, hosting on an Internet-accessibleserver, and modifying as necessary the target reference document.However, at least one of these constraints, that of modifying the targetreference document, is overcome by three external value modificationfunctions of the present invention: subtraction/deletion, substitution,and insertion.

For instance, a sender may wish to use an external reference in order toenjoy maximum information density yet may also desire that thereference-derived content appearing in the final extracted documentpartly differ from the content of the target reference document itself.In such a case, a user can use the external value modification functionsto modify content derived from the target reference document withoutmodifying the target reference document itself.

FIG. 9A depicts text that has been retrieved from a target referencedocument, i.e., text that is an external value and has been replicatedas the content of a defined variable. If the encoding party wishes forthe extracted document to replace the fourth word 901 (“my”) of thisvariable with another word (“our”), a command sequence such as thatdepicted in FIG. 9B is used. Specifically, the content of the variableis treated as text and the thirteenth through fourteenth characters ofthis variable are replaced with the characters “o”, “u”, and r

To elaborate, the command sequence itself, as depicted in FIG. 9B,proceeds as follows: a “TreatVariableAsText” command introduces thesequence; this command is expected to be immediately followed by theidentifier of the variable to be modified. The characters to be replacedare immediately thereafter described through: (i) a“ReplaceCharactersBegin” command nest, within which is specified acharacter number (“13” in the example) that indicates the ordinal number(i.e., 13^(th)), relative to the entire text string, of the firstcharacter to be replaced; and (ii) a “ReplaceCharactersEnd” commandnest, within which is specified the ordinal number of the last characterto be replaced (i.e., the 14^(th) character, in the example).

Immediately thereafter follows a “SubstituteCharacters” command nest,within which are provided, in desired order, a sequence of antecedents(“o”, “u” and “r” in the example); when the content of the givenvariable is included in the final extracted document, these replacementcharacters are to appear in the same relative location where the deletedcharacters would have appeared.

Note that the example command sequence has been depicted in this way inorder to demonstrate the present invention in a fashion that can beeasily understood. Clearly, different and additional command names andtechniques can be used as appropriate without exceeding the scope of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9C depicts the sequence segment of a chromocode 911 that symbolizesthe identifiers depicted in FIG. 9B such that, when the chromocode isdecoded, the instructions indicated in the command sequence representedthereby can be executed. Thus, the final extracted document appears inrelevant part as shown in FIG. 9E, in which the fourth word 921 (“our”)differs from the fourth word (“my”) of the target reference document.

The synergistic results of the referential, subtractive, andsubstitutive functions when used in combination are dramatic: a1000-page document—even one that is unique to the given chromocode—canbe conveyed using a small number of color blots.

Insertive processing (not graphically shown) is similar: the characterin a text string after which matter is to be inserted is identifiedthrough an “InsertAfterCharacter” command nest. Thereafter, the matterto be inserted is specified through an immediately following “Insert”command nest.

To delete characters (not graphically shown) without substituting anynew characters, simply follow the command sequence for replacingcharacters but include no information in the “SubstituteCharacters”nest.

4.4 Comprehensive Internet Integration

Users can host vocabularies, target reference documents, chromotifs, andany other reference materials on their own websites if they wish.However, the present invention also gives rise to a commercialopportunity for a company to serve as a central location for all suchhosting purposes.

FIG. 12 depicts the primary relationships between a series of relationaldatabases which may be used by such a company. One useful feature isthat of providing a password storage database related to other relevantdatabases so as to allow password-protection of target referencedocuments and other reference materials. In this way, a decoding partymust first log-in to a password-protected site to gain access to a URLthat is the URL of a reference. Thus, an authorized recipient canproperly decode such a referential chromocode, but an unauthorized partyis unable to retrieve the references that give meaning to thechromocode.

Notably, although not graphically depicted, the company may also wish tocharge users a fee to host documents or to access URLs for referencematerials.

FIG. 13 depicts the general system components of the present invention.Internet integration can be done through a company, the computers 1301of which comprise the depicted hardware and software components.Alternately, or additionally, an encoding user 1302 can host externalreferences on its own computers or can take advantage of targetreference documents 1303, chromotif specifications 1304, andvocabularies 1305 hosted by others. A decoding user 1306 accesses theInternet for any nonlocal external values and supplies local externalvalues through its own data-processing equipment.

FIG. 14 depicts an excerpt from an example Web submission form whereby auser submits information for storage in a database according to thepresent invention, such as a database comprising records of chromotifs.

5.1 Full VHD Embodiment

In applications where the higher tolerances of a VHD embodiment aredesirable but a larger character set than that of the limited embodimentis needed, the full VHD embodiment may be used so that selection of thetotal number of colors to be used and the ratio of color blots perantecedent is possible. This selection is made with reference to theoptions and advantages depicted in FIG. 15D.

FIG. 15A provides a matrix of relationships between alphabeticalcharacters and unique color blot triplets. Only three different colorsare used: black, white, and red. Distinguishing between these threecolors is not difficult, even under adverse conditions. Meanwhile, theuse of triplets enables each letter of the entire twenty-six-letteralphabet to be represented by a unique triplet. Exactly one uniquetriplet is left over to serve as a “shift” character.

The shift character serves to expand the character set that can berepresented by the same trichromatic color triplets. Its function isstraightforward: when a non-shift-character triplet is not preceded bythe shift-character triplet, the antecedent represented by thenon-shift-character triplet is the default antecedent (depicted in FIG.15A); when the non-shift-character triplet is preceded by theshift-character triplet, the antecedent represented by thenon-shift-character triplet is the shifted antecedent assigned to thenon-shift-character triplet in the matrix depicted in FIG. 15B.

An example of two different antecedents represented by the same tripletis depicted in FIG. 15C. The depicted chromocode has three tripletscomprising nine data blots in total. The first triplet represents theletter “A”; the second triplet is the shift character; and the thirdtriplet represents the numeral “1”, since this triplet, identical inappearance to the first triplet, is preceded by the shift character.

FIG. 15D is a chart describing and comparing options under the VHDembodiment for use in deciding which selection is appropriate for agiven application. An indication should be provided to the recipientwhich VHD selection has been used in encoding a particular chromocode.

FIG. 16 depicts an example information flow when the UHD embodiment isused. The encoding party 1601 inputs the intended document into its dataprocessing system 1602 for analysis and encoding. Reference materials,such as vocabularies, target reference documents, and chromotifs areuploaded to an Internet-accessible hosting service 1603, and achromocode is printed on a surface 1604. A decoding party 1606 scans thechromocode using its data processing system 1605 and requests referencesfrom the hosting service 1603, supplying a password if necessary. Thereferences are returned to the decoding party's data processing system1605 for use in processing scanned data and extracting an extracteddocument.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart providing an overview of the present invention.A decision is made whether to use a polychromatic code 1701. If use of apolychromatic code is chosen, a decision is made whether to use UHD orVHD 1702. If UHD is chosen, a decision is made whether to use the fullembodiment or a limited embodiment 1703. If VHD is chosen, a decision ismade whether to use the full embodiment or a limited embodiment 1704.Decisions are then implemented according to relevant figures anddiscussions thereof 1705 as disclosed herein.

FIG. 18 is a flow chart depicting a process whereby a UHD chromocode isdecoded to yield a final extracted document. First, all data blots aretranslated to identifiers 1801, resulting in an unprocessed extractedsequence. If an alternative chromotif or vocabulary is specified (whichspecification should be according to default rather than alternatematrices) all chromotifs and vocabularies are retrieved 1802 and 1803;thereafter, all remaining data blots are retranslated into identifiersin light of the alternative chromotif. Any individual modifications tothe selected vocabulary through command sequences are then performed1804. All remaining extracted identifiers are then translated toantecedents according to final vocabulary assignments 1806. Commandsequences specifying nonlocal external values are then executed toacquire all content to be acquired through nonlocal external reference1807. Command sequences specifying all local external values to beacquired are then executed 1808. All variables to represent externallyacquired content are then defined 1809. If externally acquired contentis to be edited, the variable to be edited is treated as a string oftext 1810 and command sequences for subtraction/deletion, insertion, andsubstitution are executed 1811. All formulas that define certainvariables in terms of other variables are then executed 1812. Allprocessed referential content is then spliced together with additivecontent, with processed content appearing where the given variableantecedent representing this processed content appears relative toadditive content antecedents in the unprocessed extracted sequence, soas to produce a final extracted document 1813.

It should be noted that, after a final extracted document has beenproduced, this extracted document can then be further manipulated as therecipient wishes. For instance, if a final extracted document is an HTMLdocument, this document can then be viewed in a browser so that thedocument is presented according to the HTML formatting. Similarly, anextracted document that is an XML document can be parsed and then thedata described therein imported into a database.

6.1 Scope

Although the description above contains many specificities, these shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merelyproviding illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodimentsof this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should bedetermined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, ratherthan by the examples given. For instance, as is plain to one skilled inthe art, it will be understood that features of one embodiment may becombined with features of other embodiments while other features may beomitted or replaced as being nonessential to the practice of theinvention, regardless of whether such combination, omission ormodification has been explicitly described.

It is expressly intended that users should supply custom and additionalvocabularies, chromotifs, references, and related elaboration upon thepresent disclosure, and thus such matter falls clearly within thepurview hereof. Additionally, the disclosed optical encoding techniquesare applicable at any surface area size, and the disclosed symbolicstructure may be employed through symbols that are non-optical. Thus,miniaturization of the surface area occupied by data blots or usage ofthe compound matrix and related structures disclosed herein in anon-optical encoding system falls clearly within the purview hereof.

Additionally, the techniques used herein can be used to create artworksof which the coloring, through custom chromotif, serves not only as art,but also as information-bearing matter.

Licensing information may be obtained throughhttp://www.inventerprise.com.

1. A method of conveying information, said method comprising the following steps: performing a first evaluation step, wherein said first evaluation step comprises analyzing the contents of a first document or the context in which a first barcode will be used so as to determine preferable information density or deviation tolerance for said first barcode; performing a first selection step, wherein said first selection step comprises choosing one of two optical encoding approaches, said two approaches being selected from the group consisting of (i) a monochromatic approach and (ii) a polychromatic approach, and wherein said first selection step further comprises the step of choosing said polychromatic approach; and performing a second selection step, wherein said second selection step comprises choosing one of two polychromatic systems, said two systems being selected from the group consisting of (i) a full polychromatic system and (ii) a limited polychromatic system.
 2. The method in claim 1 wherein said step of choosing one of two polychromatic systems further comprises the following step: choosing said full polychromatic system, wherein said full polychromatic system comprises an optical encoding system in which a first antecedent is symbolized in a first color by way of an intermediate value to which both said first antecedent and said first color are assigned.
 3. The method in claim 1 wherein said step of choosing one of two polychromatic systems further comprises the following step: choosing said limited polychromatic system, wherein said limited polychromatic system comprises an optical encoding system whereby antecedents are represented by polychromatic color blot pairs or triplets.
 4. The method in claim 2 wherein said full polychromatic system comprises a first matrix of relationships, said first matrix of relationships comprising a plurality of relationships between colors and identifiers.
 5. The method in claim 4 wherein said full polychromatic system comprises a second matrix of relationships, said second matrix of relationships comprising a plurality of relationships between individual ASCII characters and identifiers.
 6. The method in claim 4 wherein said full polychromatic system comprises a second matrix of relationships, said second matrix of relationships comprising a plurality of relationships between antecedents and identifiers, at least one of said antecedents comprising a plurality of characters.
 7. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising the following steps: scanning said first barcode; and comparing a first set of values against a second set of values, said first set of values being color parameters derived at least in part from scanning a first color and said second set of values being those of a first predetermined standard.
 8. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising the following steps: scanning said first barcode; and interpreting said first barcode according to a first matrix, said first matrix comprising a plurality of relationships between either (i) identifiers and colors or (ii) identifiers and antecedents, wherein said first matrix is identified in said first barcode.
 9. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising the following steps: scanning said first barcode; and retrieving a first value, wherein said step of retrieving a first value is a step selected from the group consisting of the two following steps: requesting a first document located at a first URL, said first URL being symbolized in said first barcode; and performing a first database query, said first database query being symbolized in said first barcode.
 10. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising the following step: performing a third selection step, wherein said third selection step comprises choosing a first variable and a second variable, wherein said first variable represents a number of distinct colors or light phenomena and is selected from the group consisting of the numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6, and wherein said second variable represents a ratio of blots per antecedent and is selected from the group consisting of the ratios 2-to-1 and 3-to-1.
 11. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising the following two steps: performing a first encoding step, wherein said first encoding step is a step selected from the group consisting of (i) assigning a first ASCII character to a first intermediate value and (ii) assigning a first plurality of characters to a first intermediate value; and performing a second encoding step, wherein said second encoding step comprises assigning said first intermediate value to a first color.
 12. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising the following step: establishing a vocabulary, said vocabulary comprising a plurality of relationships between (i) antecedents and (ii) intermediate values.
 13. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising the following steps: uploading a first reference document to an Internet-accessible server; and decoding said first barcode with reference to said first reference document.
 14. The method in claim 1 wherein said barcode is a sequence of blots, said sequence of blots being sufficient to symbolize, without any ambiguity, a sequence of ASCII characters that comprises more ASCII characters than there are blots in said sequence of blots.
 15. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising the following step: encoding a command sequence in said first barcode, said command sequence comprising instructions for establishing or modifying a first relationship, said first relationship being a relationship between a first meaning and a first symbol.
 16. The method in claim 10 wherein said first variable is the number 6 and said second variable is the ratio 2-to-1, and wherein at least one of the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet or at least one of the ten Arabic numerals is uniquely assigned to at least one of thirty-six possible color pairs.
 17. The method in claim 1 additionally comprising the following step: performing a first extraction step, wherein said first extraction step is a step selected from the group consisting of: deleting at least one character from a first character string; substituting at least one character for at least one other character in a first character string; interpreting a symbol according to a shift function; modifying a first vocabulary; and retrieving a first local external value or a first nonlocal external value.
 18. The method in claim 17 wherein said first extraction step is performed only if a valid password is submitted or a fee is paid.
 19. A method of conveying information through polychromatic optical encoding, said method comprising the following step: symbolizing a first antecedent through a first color by way of an intermediate value to which both said first antecedent and said first color are assigned.
 20. A method of conveying information, said method comprising the following step: applying a sequence of blots to a surface, said sequence of blots symbolizing, without any ambiguity, a sequence of ASCII characters, said sequence of ASCII characters comprising more ASCII characters than there are blots in said sequence of blots. 